Heartbeats drawing close

Ningguang slowed her departing steps, as though giving Lin Yi a chance to catch up.

Yet she felt a little lost. If Lin Yi really did come after her, what should she do?

As her thoughts wandered, she felt a light touch on her left shoulder.

She instinctively looked back, but no one was there. All she could see was Ningguang poking her head out of the carriage, looking slightly startled.

When Ningguang turned back around, Lin Yi was right in front of her, barely a fist's width away.

A visible blush spread across Ningguang's face.

But she stood with the light behind her, so Lin Yi could not make out her exquisite features. He could only sense an unusual uneasiness in her.

"Y-you... what are you doing here?"

Lin Yi shrugged.

"I really don't know what to do with you."

Then, without waiting for a response, Lin Yi dropped to one knee, raised his head, and gazed tenderly at Ningguang as he extended his right hand.

"Give me your hand."

Looking into his eyes, Ningguang momentarily forgot how to think and instinctively placed her hand in his.

Lin Yi wasted no words and simply gave her a tug.

She lost her balance and fell toward his arms with a startled cry.

Inside the carriage, Keqing and Xiangling watched the show together, tactfully refraining from interrupting. Even the caravan stopped, despite the possibility of having its pay docked for the delay.

But none of its members dared profane this intimate moment between the Geo Archon and the Tianquan with their stares.

"W-what are you doing?"

By the time Ningguang came to her senses, she was already sitting on Lin Yi's braced left thigh.

Lin Yi did not answer. Once he had settled her securely, he lifted her lovely, slightly swollen leg in front of him.

A quick examination revealed a minor sprain caused by running a long distance in high heels.

For a Vision holder, an injury like this was naturally nothing serious.

But in Lin Yi's eyes, Ningguang was just a little girl who had not received enough love and sincerity to help her flourish.

"How could you be so careless? It'd be such a shame to injure such beautiful legs."

He carefully directed the robust power of Geo.

The Geo Ring gathered a soft, reassuring haze of elemental energy around his hand.

Ningguang nestled in Lin Yi's arms like a little bird.

She could almost hear the heartbeats in their chests, beating at an astonishingly similar rhythm.

Her beautiful eyes remained fixed on Lin Yi's face as she let him press his hand against the swollen area.

Still, she could not hold back a soft cry.

Almost instinctively, she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"It'll hurt a little. Bear with it."

With a beauty in his arms, Lin Yi was surprisingly composed. He concentrated on directing his elemental power to reduce Ningguang's swelling, afraid that a single mistake might make it worse.

With such a lovely couple and such a beautiful scene, no one had the heart to interrupt.

Even Ningguang, who had never thought much of Lin Yi and Lady Ningguang as a married couple, had to admit it now.

"In a moment like this, those two really do look good together."

Time slipped by in an instant.

Deep down, both of them even wished it would pass a little more slowly.

But once the swelling in her ankle had subsided, Lin Yi decisively helped Ningguang to her feet.

His own leg, however, had gone numb from crouching too long. He stumbled and pitched toward the raised edge of the road!

"Ah! Watch out!"

In the next instant, Ningguang's elemental power erupted, and the stardust she conjured formed a Geo net behind Lin Yi.

The net bounced Lin Yi back.

But it used a little too much force. Still unable to find his footing, Lin Yi fell straight into Ningguang's arms.

To steady himself, he could only reach out and hug her tightly from the front.

At that moment, the world lost its color, and everything fell quietly still, as though afraid to disturb them.

Keqing watched in a daze, but reached out to cover Xiangling's eyes.

"You're too young to watch this."

"Mmph, Keqing, I'm not little anymore! Let go! I want to see!"

Only their bodies separated their heartbeats. Their warmth rose as they admired each other's faces at close range.

Neither had the heart to ruin the moment.

Of all the times to appear, a Hilichurl passed by just then, humming a tune and babbling something incomprehensible.

Its deep-seated hostility toward humans sent it charging at them with lumbering strides, waving its club.

"Watch out! It's a level 40 Unusual Hilichurl!"

Only then did Lin Yi and Ningguang come to their senses. Though reluctant to give up their embrace, they had no choice but to separate in a slightly awkward, intimate silence.

Lin Yi had wanted to say something.

But Ningguang's brows drew together, anger surging through her as she stared fixedly at the approaching Unusual Hilichurl.

"You wretched creature!"

Whether it was because they had been interrupted or for some other reason, Ningguang had never wanted the entire Hilichurl race wiped out as badly as she did now.

Star Swirls gathered, and a jade screen appeared behind her.

The Unusual Hilichurl suddenly felt boundless killing intent lock onto it. Looking again, it saw a murderous red gleam in Ningguang's eyes as she hurtled toward it.

She made short work of it. Even as its body dissolved into elemental fragments, the Unusual Hilichurl still could not understand why Ningguang, who usually never dirtied her hands with menial work, had torn it apart so violently.

Even Lin Yi broke into a cold sweat at the sight.

Looks like Ningguang usually goes easy on me. Thinking back, how much time did I waste dealing with a single Unusual Hilichurl...?

After disposing of the nuisance, Ningguang met Lin Yi's gaze.

For a moment, neither said much.

Then her figure once again became a streak of light, heading back toward Liyue.

With the beauty leaving in such a hurry, Lin Yi could only give a wry smile.

But Ningguang's distinctive fragrance lingered, impossible to forget.

"Honey! Stay safe on the way back!"

A thousand words became a single reminder.

Then he climbed into the carriage, feeling lighthearted and in excellent spirits.

On her way back, Ningguang heard his reminder, and warmth filled her heart.

The ankle Lin Yi had massaged and healed even seemed to unleash greater strength.

She hurried back to the Jade Chamber.

Ningguang rushed straight into her room and locked the door.

Sitting on her bed, she felt as though her heart might leap out of her chest, keenly aware of the heat coursing through her body.

"This feeling is so embarrassing, but so pleasant. I really had nothing better to do, insisting on making that trip!"

Despite her words, when Ningguang looked in the mirror and saw that her once mature, dignified, composed self had become so sensitive to love, she could not bring herself to dislike it.

The journey to Wangshu Inn was a manageable distance.

Lin Yi planned to go there first and meet Venti, that slacker of an Anemo Archon from Mondstadt.

After all, this is the crossing between two neighboring regions. As Liyue's god, I should pay him a visit and foster friendly relations between our city-states.

Since he had an entire carriage to himself, he could enjoy the space alone.

With no one to disturb him, Lin Yi closed his eyes and focused. The Rich Lady Raising System's panel appeared in his mind.

How about a draw?